Before I knew it, the day had come. We had a lot of preparations to do before the Thanksgiving party. We were bringing the dessert, a green salad, and the green bean casserole. I didn't like to cook very much, but I did like to bake. And I could make a mean apple pie. It was surreal to be cooking for an event as if this was any sense of normal. I followed my captor's lead, though, trying to stay out of trouble.

The drive was going to be about ninety minutes. And of course, I had dreams of an escape—somehow jumping out of the car or disappearing during the party. But a big part of me wanted to meet these other people, wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving as if some aspect of my life was normal. I had been in seclusion for weeks and was desperate for human contact. And my curiosity was killing me. I did feel grateful, even if I wasn't with my family.

I was lucky enough not to be buried six feet under.

What was wrong with me? I felt complacent, accepting my fate with James. I should've been taking any opportunity I could find to escape. Shouldn't I? I told myself I would do it after Thanksgiving. The more James trusted me, the more his guard would be down. I would work that to my advantage. At least, that's what I told myself.

As I got dressed, I thought about Stockholm syndrome again. It was a paradoxical relationship, that's for sure. And I couldn't possibly be having feelings for James. After all, I had a background in psychology and sociology, and I had a wonderful life at home to fight for. So, why in the world was I dazedly staying? I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind. It was ludicrous. I was smarter than that to fall for such a thing. I hoped.

I thought of Jaycee Dugard again, who was abducted at age eleven, and not found until eighteen years later. She had two children with her captor, Phillip Garrido. She had many opportunities to escape, but she was so brainwashed she stayed with him and his demented wife. I used to think this was absurd and something must've been wrong with her. But now I saw the parallels to my life.

"Are you ready to go?" James asked, standing by the bedroom door. I startled. I hadn't even heard the front door open.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay. I'm almost ready. Just have to finish my makeup."

"OK, I'll wait for you in the other room."

As I walked into the family room, James was sporting a big smile. He looked handsome, wearing a new suit and tie.

"Wow, Corrine, you look absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks," I said, blushing.

He kissed me on the forehead, and I froze. That was a first.

"Well, uh, we better get going," he said.

He opened the unlocked door, and I got my first full view of the stairway I had spent so much time imagining. I didn't know what I was anticipating, but it was only a bland stairwell with brown carpet and no pictures on the wall. I noticed an opened door at the foot of the stairs he must've used to quiet any sound I may make upstairs. With two thick doors, the apartment would be practically sound-proof.

He held my hand as we walked downstairs. I was sweating terribly, not knowing what to expect and not comfortable with the body contact. But I had to admit a small part of me felt that same butterfly feeling on a first date. The confusion flustered me, and I was angry for feeling this way. I wrote it off as the excitement for finally getting out of the apartment.

When we got to the bottom of the stairs, James kissed my hand.

"Hey, relax," he whispered. "It's going to be okay. We're going to have a good time. Trust me, okay?"

"Sure."

"And you'll get to see some familiar faces again. I know Dan and Tyler have missed you."

Oh, joy, I thought.

I had wondered what James's house looked like, and I couldn't believe I was finally looking at it. The family room was a definite bachelor pad. He had football paraphernalia hanging, leather couches, and a very large screen TV, much larger than the one in my apartment. I noticed a hallway to the right of me, where the bedrooms must've been. The kitchen looked large and modern with granite tile and newer appliances.

Behind the kitchen, I could see the formal dining room and living room, but I couldn't see much of anything specific. To the left of the kitchen was the entryway and front door, which then lead to the living room again. All I could see was a grand piano, and I imagined James playing there.

If you play your cards right, James had said one night about being able to hang out downstairs.

"Do you like it?" James asked. He watched me absorbing it all in.

"It's—It's. I don't know. I don't know what I was expecting. I just feel so grateful to even be down here. Thank you."

I really meant it, too. I was a caged bird.

He wiped a tear from my cheek.

"Well, don't mess up, okay? This is a big step for me too, and I'm probably just as nervous as you, if not more so."

I looked into his eyes, yearning for acceptance.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much is at stake today," James began. "I'm putting a lot of trust in you by taking you out. And doing so in such a short amount of time since becoming a family is risky. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, I—I think so." I began trembling.

"We're only going tonight because things have been going smoothly the last couple weeks. But if there are any problems tonight, do you understand the repercussions involved?"

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Y—Yes."

"Look at me, Corrine," James said. I turned to face him. He wiped another tear away. "With every attempt you make, I will increase your punishment. You've already made one, so you know what that punishment was like. I don't think you'd like to experience the next level, do you?"

All I could do was shake my head no.

"I didn't think so. And you and I already talked about your father, remember?"

I didn't want to remember.

James continued, "We all want to have fun, and I'm sure we can. But I want to make sure you understand the consequences."

I nodded. My makeup must've been ruined by then. Any normalcy of the evening was gone.

"Okay," James said, ending the conversation. I sensed a lightening in his body, as if he had dreaded that discussion as much as I had living it.

James escorted me to his car, a nice Lexus sports model. I sat in the passenger seat and was warned not to make eye contact with any other cars passing by, as if I didn't know any better.

This was my first opportunity to see the house from the outside. It wasn't at all how I expected it to be. It was an older, renovated two-story white farmhouse. It was in good shape, but it looked like it was built about fifty years ago.

As we drove off, I saw what looked like a barn behind the house. Chickens were walking about. Behind the barn looked like farmland, with empty rows that once grew luscious crops. What did farmers grow in Kansas anyway? I had no clue.

"What's going through your mind, Corrine?"

"I guess I'm a little shell-shocked. I don't know what to say."

"Have you ever been in this area of the country?" James asked.

"No, never. I've only been to Oregon and Arizona." I was embarrassed to admit my lack of travels.

"Kansas is a beautiful state."

"Yes, it seems to be."

"This used to be a working farm. But I don't have time to dedicate to a crop or anything. But I do have some chickens, a couple cows, and a horse. That's something, I suppose."

"Definitely."

"At least we get our eggs for free," he chuckled. "Organic."

I was fascinated to finally see glimpses of what happened on the other side of my front door. I spent hours wondering what his life was like when he wasn't with me.

"I'm surprised you can keep up with it all. Maybe some day I'll be able to lend a hand." I threw it out there to test the waters.

James pulled onto a main street and reached for my hand. "Maybe. If you play your cards right." He winked at me.

Oh, was I determined to play my cards right. Knowing tonight wasn't the time to try an escape in another pair of high heels and people all around, I knew this was a building block to eventual trust with James. I had to keep my eye on the long term goal.

Silence fell upon the car, and we both seemed to be in our own worlds. I looked out the window, and we were merging onto the 335 freeway. The area was barren, especially in late November, and the land was flat, just as I heard about Kansas. But it was beautiful, with patches of trees topped with snow and a house or two here and there.

"Wow, it snows here?" I asked, surprised.

James chuckled. "You really are secluded in that apartment."

"Yeah, I guess so." I already knew that much. "It's beautiful, though."

I had never lived in snow before. Unless we drove up to local mountains, such as Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead, Southern Californians didn't see snow.

"Yeah, it sure is. I grew up in Kansas, about two hours from here."

I wished I were more traveled. The United States had so much to offer. But my chances were dim I'd see it now.



So, what's going to happen on Thanksgiving? Will Corrine try to escape? Please feel free to vote and follow me. Then click to read on to chapter 16!